Scoring system

Tasters rate the wines using the 100-point scoring system. The overall Decanter rating is the average of all three judges’ scores. The ratings are as follows:

98-100: Exceptional

A great, exceptional and profound wine

95-97: Outstanding

An excellent wine of great complexity and character

90-94: Highly Recommended

A very accomplished wine, with impressive complexity

86-89: Recommended

A well-made, straightforward and enjoyable wine

83-85: Commended

An acceptable, simple wine with limited personality

76-82: Fair

Correctly made, if unexciting

70-75: Poor

Unbalanced and/or bland with no character

50-69: Faulty

Displays winemaking faults For the Exceptional and Outstanding Decanter ratings, judges’ individual scores and tasting notes are listed in addition to the average score. For the Highly Recommended and Recommended wines, individual and average scores are also listed but tasting notes are a combination of the three judges’ notes.